Sonera's Practice is Bhūta Vidya

Bhūta vidya is the balancing of our body, mind, senses and consciousness and it can be understood as the knowledge of the five elements that constitute us – physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. Bhūta or the pancha (five) maha (great) bhūtas (elements) in Sanskrit refers to the five primary states of matter – agni (fire), vāyu (air), jala (water), ākāśa (ether) and pṛthvī (earth). They are the prima materia of everything in the cosmos. 

In Vedic thought, the combination of the five elements gives rise to multiple and unique variations of infinite forms in the universe including our body-mind. We can develop vidya or knowledge of the bhūtas that constitute us energetically by balancing them through Āyurveda, Jyotiṣa and psyche-therapy or all three. When one balances the panchmahābhūtas, one directs oneself to a state of harmony and wholesomeness – physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.

 About Sonera:

Sonera, a psychotherapist in Mumbai likes to refer to her practice as Psyche-Therapy, thereby removing any stigma associated with psychiatrists. We help people with mental disorders using cognitive behaviour therapy.

Services:

Online Pyschotherapy

Relationship & Depression Counselling

Therapy for Anger & Stress Management

Online Jyotisa & Vedic Astrology

Dialectical Behaviour Therapy

Cognitive Behaviour Therapy

Mental Health Treatment in Ayurveda

Ayurvedic Health Counselling

About Sonera Jhaveri

 

Sonera’s practice emphasizes the unity of the body, mind and consciousness. She specialises in Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, Dialectical Behaviour Therapy, Existential and Somatic psychotherapy. She is trained in several body-oriented modalities such as Hakomi, Bodynamic therapy, Somatic Experiencing and Integral Somatic Psychology. Sonera integrates her therapeutic approach with  Yoga, Jyotiṣa and Āyurveda to give clients a more nuanced map of their subtle bioenergetic structures. Her therapeutic approach weaves in diet and lifestyle guidelines and combines east and west, body and mind, digestive health and mental health. 

Sonera engages clients on how to unravel blocks to their personal growth and enhance their wellbeing physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. She works with individuals and couples and also facilitates therapeutic groups. Sonera has conducted workshops and trainings for corporations, private organisations and institutes. She lives between Mumbai and Copenhagen and undertakes online, telephone and in-person sessions. Sonera is a consultant psychologist at the Nanavati Hospital, a Chartered Member of the British Psychological Society and is a Counselling Affiliate to CiC- EAP, UK.

About Sonera:

Sonera, a psychotherapist in Mumbai likes to refer to her practice as Psyche-Therapy, thereby removing any stigma associated with psychiatrists. We help people with mental disorders using cognitive behaviour therapy.

Services:

Online Pyschotherapy

Relationship & Depression Counselling

Therapy for Anger & Stress Management

Online Jyotisa & Vedic Astrology

Dialectical Behaviour Therapy

Cognitive Behaviour Therapy

Mental Health Treatment in Ayurveda

Ayurvedic Health Counselling

Read more at http://www.sonerajhaveri.com/about

Jyotiṣa or Vedic Astrology

 

Jyotiṣa or Vedic Astrology is the study of 'Jyoti,' which, means light in Sanskrit. Jyotiṣa, then, is a quest to understand how the light of the sun, moon and stars illuminate the self through the lifespan.

Jyotiṣa kindles our self- awareness to our subconscious patterns and the archetypes we are embodying and offers us remedial measures to balance the bhūtas within us to ensure we face the mysteries of our lives with harmony. As an esoteric science, Jyotiṣa has traditionally always concomitantly been practised with Āyurveda to restore the balance of the bhūtas that inform the well-being of the mind, body, senses and consciousness.

Jyotiṣa readings will illuminate anyone to know more about: 

• Deeper aspects of their personality 
• Relationships 
• Mental, physical and spiritual wellbeing 
• Life transitions and challenges

Services:

Online Pyschotherapy

Relationship & Depression Counselling

Therapy for Anger & Stress Management

Online Jyotisa & Vedic Astrology

Dialectical Behaviour Therapy

Cognitive Behaviour Therapy

Mental Health Treatment in Ayurveda

Ayurvedic Health Counselling

Read more at http://www.sonerajhaveri.com/therapy/jyotisa

The Psyche-Therapeutic Process

 

Psyche is an ancient Greek word translated as mind, soul, spirit, prana, chi or consciousness. Psyche is what animates us and breathes life into us and helps us make sense of the surrounding world. Conversely, the psyche is also what can trouble and disturb us.

 

Psyche-therapy, then is a therapy that soothes the distress of the mind, body, senses and consciousness and equips an individual to skilfully navigate their internal landscape and external world of social relationships and professional responsibilities. By confronting one’s inner malaises, intruding memories, disturbing emotions and traumas, one moves beyond a state of being plagued to that of harmony. 

Working with the psyche is an alchemical process where one transforms the dark lead of one’s pain to the wisdom of illuminated awareness symbolised by the philosopher’s stone.

• Psyche-therapy will be beneficial for anyone wishing to liberate themselves from:
• Emotional, physical or mental stress
• Anxiety and panic disorders
• Mood disorders
• Self-esteem issues
• Anger management
• Eating disorders
• Grief from the loss of a loved one
• Feelings of loss, loneliness and/or alienation
• Depression or lack of interest in life/every day activities
• Relationship problems with a spouse, boss or anyone significant in your life
• Addictions and chemical dependencies
• Search for a deeper, existential meaning in your life
• Recovering from surgery or severe illness
• Coping with life transitions such as divorce, empty nest syndrome, a move or retirement

About Sonera:

Sonera, a psychotherapist in Mumbai likes to refer to her practice as Psyche-Therapy, thereby removing any stigma associated with psychiatrists. We help people with mental disorders using cognitive behaviour therapy.

Services:

Online Pyschotherapy

Relationship & Depression Counselling

Therapy for Anger & Stress Management

Online Jyotisa & Vedic Astrology

Dialectical Behaviour Therapy

Cognitive Behaviour Therapy

Mental Health Treatment in Ayurveda

Ayurvedic Health Counselling

Read more at http://www.sonerajhaveri.com/therapy/psychetherapy

What is Āyurveda

 

Āyurveda is an ancient form of mind-body-spirit healing that originated from South Asia. 'Āyur' means life and 'Veda' is knowledge. Āyurveda is the knowledge for the maintenance of life. 

Āyurveda integrates the individual and the cosmos in its definition of well-being and holds an alchemical understanding of the body-mind as it is constituted by the five elements or bhūtas. 

Āyurveda is for anyone who is interested in self-care and wishes to empower themselves with the alchemy of preventative and behavioural medicine. It is a form of medicine that counteracts the body from pre-maturely decaying, ageing, falling victim to diseases and propels one towards a state of svastha (i.e. to be established in oneself mentally, physical, emotionally and spiritually).

About Sonera:

Sonera, a psychotherapist in Mumbai likes to refer to her practice as Psyche-Therapy, thereby removing any stigma associated with psychiatrists. We help people with mental disorders using cognitive behaviour therapy.

Read more at http://www.sonerajhaveri.com/therapy/ayurveda

Remembering Dreams

 

Many indigenous societies, over space and time have given importance to dreams and have regarded them as messages from the Gods, oracles, spirit communications, a reservoir of important symbols, sources of deep wisdom and portals of spiritual experience. 

Different cultures, ranging from the Dream temples of the Hellenistic era to Tibetan dream yoga practices to the practice of Dreamtime, prevalent in many Australian aboriginal cultures, have given dreaming a central place in their religious and healing traditions. Dreams represent the mytho-poetic and aesthetic processes of our psyches . . . 

Dreams are embodied images that reflect where we are in our lives, and what our most intimate and existential concerns, hopes, and fears are. Dreams don’t tell us what to do, but point us towards where we need to give attention to in our waking lives. Bridging the dream life to the waking life, then, is an important kernel of psyche-therapeutic work as dreams are, as stated by Freud, “ the royal road to the unconscious.”

About Sonera:

Sonera, a psychotherapist in Mumbai likes to refer to her practice as Psyche-Therapy, thereby removing any stigma associated with psychiatrists. We help people with mental disorders using cognitive behaviour therapy.

Read more at http://www.sonerajhaveri.com/blog/psyche-therapy/remembering-dreams

What is Psyche-Therapy

I am often asked why do I call my practice “Psyche-Therapy” as opposed to “Psychotherapy?” Psyche-Therapy is a particular orientation some practitioners of mental health have when they work with their clients, where attention is given to the whole person instead of being isolated or reduced to a DSM-V diagnosis.

The word Psyche-Therapy comes from two ancient Greek terms “Psyche” and “Therapeia”

Psyche: is an ancient Greek term which can be appreciated as soul, spirit, life force . . . or more expansively the animating principle of the kosmos. Psyche in modern psychology encompasses both the mind and the brain and the conscious and unconscious aspects of the Self.

Therapeia: is another ancient Greek term that connotes healing, treatment, curing . . . Therapy, the modern English term is etymologically derived from Therapeia and encompasses vast fields such as pharmacological therapy to physiotherapy. Therapy then is a generic word that simply underscores a mode or method of working with a field to help catalyze results within the individual that are rejuvenating.

So Psyche + Therapy = Psyche-Therapy= a holistic therapeutic facilitation engaging the myriad conscious and unconscious layers of the Self.

About Sonera:

Sonera, a psychotherapist in Mumbai likes to refer to her practice as Psyche-Therapy, thereby removing any stigma associated with psychiatrists. We help people with mental disorders using cognitive behaviour therapy.

Read more at http://www.sonerajhaveri.com/blog/psyche-therapy/what-is-psyche-therapy

Making friends with our emotions

 Most of us are pegged on the pleasure-pain continuum bobbing up and down the scale between hedonism and agony. We do not want to feel sadness, loneliness, and alienation; instead we want to feel happy, peaceful and content. Our instinct is to resist, get rid of, repress, dissociate or defensively do away with difficult emotions as they hurt. Yet these efforts to dispense with emotional distress are often clumsy and psychologically ineffective. As the pain we feel will return and and we can feel it deep in out bodyminds’ if we pay attention.

Another way, to deal with emotions, even disturbing ones might be to practice what the Sufi mystic Jalaluddin Rumi says to “welcome them all!” By allowing difficult emotions to arise and by simultaneously training our capacity to tolerate distress, we can become equanimous in the face of any mental storm.

About Sonera:

Sonera, a psychotherapist in Mumbai likes to refer to her practice as Psyche-Therapy, thereby removing any stigma associated with psychiatrists. We help people with mental disorders using cognitive behaviour therapy.

Read more at http://www.sonerajhaveri.com/blog/psyche-therapy/making-friends-with-our-emotions

Mindfulness and Eating

 

For those of us seeking meaningful and healthy ways of being-in-the-world, our relationship to food, (equivalently) along with other quotients of well being, such as spiritual practice, psychological growth, exercise, time spent in nature, nurturing relationships, and aesthetic appreciation, to name a few, is of paramount importance. Below are some guidelines to help restore us to consciously eating:

1)      Before eating do a baseline self- check on your hunger level before eating. Ask yourself where do you feel the hunger? How hungry are you?

2)      Involve all your senses when you eat i.e. really see, smell, taste and feel the food you are eating

3)      Serve yourself moderate helpings of food

4)      Really chew your food and break it down

5)      Eat in a slow fashion to prevent over eating

6)      Don’t skip meals

7)      Avoid all distractions when you are eating

8)      Eat an organic plant based diet as much as possible for yours and the planet’s health

9)      Therapeutically work with yourself or with a mental health professional to reduce your stress, depression, anxiety, anger and boredom levels

About Sonera:

Sonera, a psychotherapist in Mumbai likes to refer to her practice as Psyche-Therapy, thereby removing any stigma associated with psychiatrists. We help people with mental disorders using cognitive behaviour therapy.

Read more at http://www.sonerajhaveri.com/blog/psyche-therapy/mindfulness-and-eating

Mindfulness: more than just a buzzword

 

Mindfulness is an ancient Buddhist practice of paying attention to moment to moment experience in a nonjudgmental way.  Contemporarily, it has been highly regarded and recognized by western psychology, psychiatry, and cognitive neuroscience as having a deeply therapeutic value and literally transformative impact on the mind/brain. Mindfulness is about developing self-awareness and is the cornerstone of all psychological and spiritual work.

Before starting a session, I always begin with mindfulness meditation to help gather and center my client. This is because mindfulness allows one to get in touch with oneself as an observer behind the whirlpool of distracted thought, emotion, and sensation. It deeply anchors one in the present moment and allows us to really experience and study our selves.

Research states that mindfulness or rather the capacity of the mind to direct the brain, through trained attention and focus, can shift our neural architecture. Through mindfulness we can dis-identify with negative thoughts and behavior patterns and allow us to replace them with positive ways of being-in-the-world. It gives us choice and frees us from our habitual modes of reacting and judging. Today mindfulness has been used to treat many disorders from depression, anger management, addictions, anxiety and panic disorders, chronic pain and stress reduction to name a few areas.

About Sonera: Sonera, a psychotherapist in Mumbai likes to refer to her practice as Psyche-Therapy, thereby removing any stigma associated with psychiatrists. We help people with mental disorders using cognitive behaviour therapy.

Read more at http://www.sonerajhaveri.com/blog/psyche-therapy/mindfulness-more-than-just-a-buzzword